Thanks to Max.
10
Max
I shifted myself on the stool as I reached for my rag and wiped some wax onto it. I hated buffing. It was the bane of my existence. So much damn work just to get a few scratches and shit out of my bike. But there was no one else around here that took half as much care with my bike as I did. I’d gladly pay someone to do the damn job. But it was always half-assed.
So I sucked it up and did it myself.
“Fucking college campus,” I murmured.
Every time I went to that damn place, I found a new scratch. A new piece of paint chipped off the side. A new dent I had to pop out. College kids were selfish. Brutal. They didn’t appreciate the shit that had been given to them through their tuition. That was another thing I liked about Dani. She wasn’t selfish. She took care of her things. Myself included.
Huh. Look at you, being someone else’s property.
I chuckled at the thought.
“The fuck happened here?”
Benji’s voice pulled me from my thoughts and I slowly looked over at him. His eyes danced around the garage as he shoved his hands into his pockets, his gaze landing on a hole in the wall. A hole I still hadn’t patched from the goons my father had brought over a while back.
At least, it felt like a while back.
“You good?” he asked.
I clicked my tongue. “I’m great.”
He pointed to the hole. “What happened there?”
I shrugged. “Something probably fell through it.”
“Did you fall through it? Because that’s a pretty big hole.”
I sighed. “You got a reason for being here, Benj?”
“Dude, I can’t believe your face is still fucked up like that. Have you seen a doctor?”
“I asked you a question.”
“And I asked you one, too. I take it your ribs are better since you’re hunched over that bike.”
I whipped my eyes over to his. “You know what happened. You were at the meeting. What I want to know is why that meeting was the first time I’d seen you in almost a damn week.”
He paused. “What?”
I stood from my stool. “You’ve been M.I.A. for almost six days. You haven’t checked in with any of the guys. You haven’t made your rounds. You sure as hell haven’t been seen around campus lately. Where the hell have you been?”
He shrugged. “I’ve had shit to do, man. Studying. Library time. College bitches to fuck. You know how that is. Right?”
He winked at me and I wanted to pull his throat out through his asshole.
“No. I don’t know how it is.”
He snickered. “Oh, come on, Max. Don’t tell me she’s made you soft. That nerd? She’s got less going for her than a stripper on a Tuesday afternoon shift, and you--”
Before I could think, I charged him. No one spoke about Dani that way. Especially not a pea-sized vermin like my cousin. I fisted his shirt and barreled him against the wall. His back slammed with such a fury that his eyes widened. I lifted him off his feet, snarling as his hands wrapped around my wrists.
“Holy shit, Max. What the--put me down. Dude! It was just a fucking joke!”